York JCC, others to gather Wednesday to mourn for killed Israeli teens

The York JCC and other community organizations will join together Wednesday evening to remember the three Israeli teens found dead earlier this week.

The memorial service will allow the community to mourn the tragedy together, said Jeffrey Astrachan, rabbi at Temple Beth Israel in York.

The event will include some elements of the Jewish faith, Astrachan said, but is intended to be for the entire York community.

"We don't in any way feel that this is just a Jewish event," Astrachan said. "This is an event that is recognizing a senseless and tragic loss of life."

The memorial service will include the reading of poems, Psalms, and appropriate mourning prayers, he added. The evening will also include a candle lighting service to honor the three teens killed.

Gilad Shaar, 16; Naftali Fraenkel, 16 and Eyal Yifrah, 19 were abducted June 12 while walking home from school in Gush Etzion, a large Jewish settlement block in the West Bank. They boys were found dead on Monday, with Israeli authorities blaming the militant group Hamas for the deaths.

Students in a summer camp at the York JCC had created posters advocating for the boys' release last week.

The memorial service will take place at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, July 2 at the JCC, 2000 Hollywood Drive in York.